White House commends Collins

Press secretary Jay Carney said that while he hasn’t spoken with President Obama about NBA player Jason Collins going public about being gay, the White House is very supportive of the move.

“I can certainly tell you that here at the White House we view that as another example of the progress that’s been made [in American society] …and commend him for his courage and support him in this effort and hope that his fans and his team support him going forward,” Carney said.

Collins, who has played for the Washington Wizards but is now a free agent, came out in Sports Illustrated, writing “I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.”